Game System

Test Rolls

As in Syndicate, dice rolls should be minimized and in most cases ignored. GM should choose most things by his or her own judgment. Note that there is no idea to make things completely fair when player characters meet various creatures; the GM should be still quite subjective, this is a cinematic game after all.

Making Rolls

Note: This system can be used in Syndicate as well, as any other rules here.

Sometimes an accurate roll is needed, like two characters fight each other (and because melee combat is much more common in fantasy than in cyber, I want to have more exact rules for that).

Standard roll in RIP is made with one or more d6's. Roll one d6 for skill level 1 or attribute level 0, and add one die for each difference to that level. If actual skill or attribute is higher, use highest result rolled, otherwise use lowest result rolled.
For example, standard strength test is made with strength +2. 3d6 is rolled (one extra d6 for each point over +0), and highest is selected. If the test is made with strength +0, only one die is rolled, and if strength is -1, 2d6 is rolled and lowest die is selected.

For skills, d6 is rolled for skilled, 2d6 (with highest) for expert and so on. If character is not skilled, roll 2d6 and select lowest d6.

GM is free to increase or decrease the number of dice rolled. The final number tells about well test went, and 4+ is typical target number (standard test)

Opposed test: If test is opposed, adjust dice rolled by difference in levels. For example, level-3 test versus level-2 means that 2 d6's are rolled and higher selected.

Typical Rolls

Melee Attack

Roll standard test with appropriate melee skill. Reduce one d6 if very unfamiliar weapon, attacker wounded or very bad place to attack. A roll 3+ should hit.

Parry

Roll standard test if defender has good weapon to parry and can see attack coming. Reduce one die if parrying weapon is small. If the result is same or bigger than attack roll, attack is parried (but if the strike is very strong, some damage may go through)

Dodge

As parry, but is is more difficult and reduce one die from melee skill unless specialized in dodging and practically no load. Attack is dodged if roll is same or higher than attack roll. Unless roll is very high, dodger loses its next next action because of time needed to roll away.

Ranged Attack

As melee attack, but is much more difficult to parry or dodge, requiring '6' always. Apply penalties to attack roll for range and opponent speed.

Damage

For hit locations, damage inflicted and armor coverage, standard Syndicate rules should be used.

Piercing Damage

Damage from arrows, spears and other impaling attacks is calculated as with cuts or firearms (so penetration is essential), but final damage table is:

1 - 2	Damaged	(bleed 0-1)
3 - 5	Crippled	(bleed 0-4)
6+	Disabled	(bleed 1-6)

If attack is made with short impaling attack (like spikes from club or halbard spike) even disabled damage is very rare (but head and torso hits are still very dangerous)

General Damage

A damage or weakness from poison, diseases or famine is not physical as such and instead causes loss of strength, constitution or balance or causes general nausea, weakness or other effects. The effect must be selected for each case separately. In general, following guidelines can be used:

1 - 2	Occasional weakness	-1 actions if stressed
3 - 4	Notified weakness	-1 actions
5 - 6	Severe weakness	-2 actions
7 - 8	Dangerous Weakness	very weak, no physical stress
9	Critical	unconscious
10+	Fatal	lethal

So poison with strength 5 cause severe weakness (modify this by dice roll, subject constitution and dose injected).
These effects will heal in time, and in general requires right kind of healing herbs or antidotes or situation becomes worse. Poison rating normally grows slowly bigger and bigger until subject dies.

When healing can be started fully, it normally requires a few days per level, more without aid of healing skill and proper materials (normally enough food and drink).

Burning Damage

Damage from burnings (or cold-based attacks or lightning) use a bit different table. Reduce damage by armor coverage in normal cases, with about 2 from partial cover to 4 with almost full cover. Metal armor does not normally protect against lightning.

1	"Stunned"
2 - 4	Damaged
5 - 6	Crippled	(bleed 0-2)
7 - 8	Disabled	(bleed 1-4)
9+	Blasted	(bleed 2-6)

Burning damage is very painful but cause no further bleed (that bleed is from loss of blood when actual burning happens). Wounds heal very slowly and are leave permanent ugly scars if crippled or worse.

Healing

Medieval or fantasy healing methods are less efficient than modern or futuristic ones. Wounds are easily infected and cure for diseases are rare.

In fantasy settings, healing skill can be used to heal wounds more quickly by applying suitable herbs. If this skill can be used, use healing times from main Syndicate rules. Otherwise double them, and there is always chance that wounds do not heal but become worse. Healing skill level should tell how bad wounds can be healed with it and how much herbs are required.

Note: Non-important creatures quite probably die for fever, infection or similar things, but important characters should always have some chance to survive even with permanent effects and some disfiguration.

Final Death

When a human or other creature with soul dies, the soul will stay in the body only for a limited time. At the moment of death and each sunrise (or time of it), a d6 is rolled and on a roll of 1, his or her soul departs the body (or place of dying) and is lost forever to Netherworld. After this has happened, no mortal magic can bring it back (combination of dark, nature and force magics can be tried, but succeed probability is very low).

Combat Turn

Combat turn in RIP is approximately 2-6 seconds, and lasts from creatures previous turn to its next. The order during combat is same as it is started with, unless someone postpones his turn and thus moves later in order. The original order is determined by the situation i.e. who has the initiative.

Action timing

Each new action is initiated during creatures own turn, and it normally lasts until next turn. If the creature attacks or moves, the action is immediately performed. Rest of the actions are usually continuous so that they must have been prepared the time between creature turns, and if interrupted in some way, must be tried again later.

Possible Actions

Move 10-20 meters and attack or draw a weapon
Aim and shoot or throw a weapon.
Load a bow or crossbow (continuous, may require multiple turns)
Cast a non-ritual spell

Interrupts

Some activities can be done as reaction to any action done by someone else. Such actions are normally limited to parrying, dodging, shooting (snap shot) and counterspells. To react to an action, it must be first sighted and may require a successful awareness-test.

Parry or dodge done while doing some continuous activity foils that attempt (dodge foils only if it is not skillful enough and causes loss of action), but counterspell does not always. Doing an snap shot requires a loaded bow or crossbow (but can be done just before own turn if bow was just loaded).